?Chapter 1148:


    d in white, Elena entered with effortless poise, and just like that, all eyes were drawn to her.


    Familiar with the spotlight, Elena was perfectly at ease. She curled her fingers around a champagne ss and moved with effortless poise.


    A yful whisper brushed her ear. “Care to share a dance, lovelydy?”


    A cold nce was all Elena gave in return. “No, thank you.”


    Torin clutched at his heart, feigning agony. “You wound me, you know. That was downright brutal.”


    Not even sparing him a smile, Elena turned away and let her gaze wander across the glittering crowd.


    Torin’s eyes trailed her figure with open appreciation, a flicker of admiration lighting up his face. “Little rose, you’re even more breathtaking in white than I imagined.”


    Marriage to a woman like her had always been Torin’s idea of perfection.


    Refusing to dignify his admiration, Elena kept her silence. Torin, however, seemed content to keep the conversation rolling by himself. One eyebrow lifted, he added, “So, what do you think? Will you marry me? You’re everything I pictured in a wife.”


    “Get lost,” Elena said icily, her voice razor-sharp.


    For a brief moment, something dark shed in Torin’s gaze, though he quickly recovered and adopted a lighter tone. “Honestly, what’s so special about Wesley that you won’t even look my way?”


    At the mention of Wesley, Elena’s attention snapped back to Torin, sharp as ss. “You’ve seen him in this country recently,” she said, her voice low.


    A sly smile curled on Torin’s lips. “Be my woman, and I’ll tell you about it.”


    Elena’s lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes cold. “I don’t believe a single word you say.”


    Softughter slipped from Torin, genuine amusement in every note. “Love has the power to change a man, doesn’t it?”


    Elena didn’t believe a word of his nonsense.


    Once he’d had his fill ofughter, his voice shifted into something low and steady. “There wille a day when you finally understand who’s meant to stand beside you.”


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    A crease appeared on Elena’s brow. “What are you up to?”


    A faint chill of unease settled in her chest. A troubling thought took hold as she began to wonder if Wesley had already stumbled into one of this maniac’s twisted setups. There was no telling what someone like him might do.


    Torin raised his ss and tapped it lightly against Elena’s. “When you agree to marry me, I’ll tell you,” he said, his tone yful but firm.


    A sharp chill spread across Elena’s features. Her eyes promised danger. Not a single hint of worry crossed Torin’s face. With a small gesture toward the ballroom doors, he directed her attention to thetest arrivals. The venue was quickly filling up, couples arriving one after another.


    At that moment, a middle-aged man entered, his shiny bald head catching the light, a young woman clinging to his arm.


    Elena watched the young woman and narrowed her eyes. What possible reason could she have for showing up here?


    The newly arrived pair hadn’t even made it a few steps before a man stepped forward to meet them.


    “My Lord, is this the woman you’re with tonight? She looks awfully young—and quite the treat,” the man remarked, a greedy glint in his gaze. Licking his lips, he eyed the woman from head to toe, already undressing her with his eyes. In response, Baron Pervis Bat of Rosethorne grinned and squeezed the woman’s hand as if showing off a prize. “That’s right. This is my darling. Ever since she came into my life, I’ve felt younger,” he said with a wink.


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